Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
New song from me ... about those times when pride gets in the way of what the soul wants. Hope you like it :-) - thanks for listening and for any comments!


We Could Have Really Had It All

Looking down, with passing glances,
At untaken second chances,
Looking round with older eyes
At the times we said goodbyes

Marching on to lesser days
And with nothing to replace
Times gone by with gentle kisses
Warmest hugs and newborn wishes

Travelling the fields of life
With no way to fight the cries
Of our twofold broken heart
That has e'er kept us apart

Proudest egos, rigid rules
Playing us for stupid fools;
And as we wait at life's own door
Scared to knock, afraid to go ...

Silly minds and hardened spirits
Break us both, too blind to see it,
Old mistakes and foolish pride
Making both just lose our mind ...

And as we wait at closed doors,
Looking straight, with frozen souls,
We know now, though we're no more,
We could have really had it all.

***

Kindest thoughts when we first met,
Thought we'd paid our karma debt;
When our eyes looked straight ahead
Into our souls, our love confessed

With some joy and with some tears,
Those were then our happy years;
What we had could never break,
Our love no-one could take.

We were soft, we were sincere,
We believed, we had no fear;
All we had could never have stood
Life's heartless ways, it's understood.

And now, with proud and rigid rules
That play us for useless fools,
We remain at life's own door,
Too scared to let our feelings soar ...

Silly minds and hardened spirits,
Break us both, we just don't see it;
Old mistakes and foolish pride
Just fade away into the night ...

And as we leave, both standing tall,
Broken hearts, closed like a wall,
We know, in our wounded soul,
We could still perhaps have it all ...

We look away ... we are no more.


****** Song Summary *************
Title: We Could Have Really Had It All - 27 March 2020
File:We Could Have Really Had It All - 27 March 2020.SGU
Key=C , Tempo 85, Length (m:s)=3:06
No intro. 62 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 62. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _SOARING.STY (Soaring Ballad w/Guitar Solo)

RealTracks in style: ~2474:Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~2505:Piano, Electric, HeldChords 085
RealTracks in style: 2914:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Folky16thsBrent Ev16 085
RealTracks in style: 2690:Guitar, Electric, Soloist Slow16thsPopBrentSimple Ev16 075
RealDrums [in style:PopPromiseEv16^1-a: Snare on 4, HiHat , b: Snare, Open HiHat

*******************

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,975
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,975
James,

A really good lyric. Could apply to feelings about a number of things...

A lot of words to fit into 3 minutes. Job well done.

User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,803
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,803
Hello James,

I can only agree with what Floyd wrote.
The lyrics are very good and imbedded in a strong melody.
The energy in your voice one can almost tough. Nicely done!
One small thing: watch out your voice stays at the same distance when you say all these words in your mike. On some occasions is looks you came too close to the mike and that caused a small amount of distortion.

Hans

Last edited by Birchwood; 03/28/20 05:15 AM.

Hans Berkhout
(Birchwood)
https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
fj and Hans: thanks! What I really need to do is get myself a mic stand, asap. At the moment, I'm holding the mic in my hand and, of course, the distance from it varies. Once I get a stand, I'll be at the same distance from it all the time - hopefully! But yes, this is an issue with me that does indeed need fixing! Thanks for your kind words!

User Showcase
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,141
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,141
That's cool, James. Enough words to fill a rappers' song, but yours is sweetly not rap. Man, you'd need a teleprompter to do this live. You are a true wordsmith, and leave us with hope.

And as we leave, both standing tall,
Broken hearts, closed like a wall,
We know, in our wounded soul,
We could still perhaps have it all ...


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,889
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,889
Yes, James is an excellent wordsmith!

Super lyrics backed by a simple but effective backing track.

Excellent.

PS - when you get a mic stand also get a pop filter.


Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Marty: haha!!! You're kind - I hadn't considered the potential problems of doing this live when writing this ;-) ... but thank you for the compliments!

Mario: Thank you :-) I do now have a pop filter! but obviously the mic's incredibly sensitive, still ... or I'm still way close to it. Hopefully a mic stand shall solve both issues by keeping me at a fixed distance from the mic itself? I sadly can't afford to splash out on a new mic altogether right now, so let's hope that that would solve things.

User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,677
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,677
Oh yes, James, your lyrics are always top-notch - this one is even outstanding. Very tastefully arranged, too. Impressive!.

Stay well, James,

Stefan

User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Thank you Stefan - so kind. Take care and stay safe and well.

User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,304
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,304
Sad song, but pleasant listen.


-- David Cuny

My virtual singer development blog
Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?

BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
James,
The accumulation of "life`s heartless ways" in your lyrics coming at such a steady cadence, have the effect of water wearing away a stone... which somehow makes the chorus punch line feel sadder.
Strong stuff,and well delivered in your original style.

Robert

User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Wow - thanks David and Robert.

David: I know that spoken word stuff is not really your "thing", as it were ... so that makes your words even sweeter - thank you.

Robert: Wow. Thank you so much - I'm so glad you enjoyed this little effort of mine. Thanks for such kind and perceptive words!

User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,303
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,303
Lovely chord changes.
excellent lyric.
The rudiments of the melody are strong and suggest this could be sung to great effect.
Mic stands are good for distance and a pop screen reinforces that distance - both are cool tools that can be replaced by home bits n pieces.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Thanks Ray! I will get a mic stand and will try to reinforce my current pop filter! :-)

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Quote:
... about those times when pride gets in the way of what the soul wants.

Great concept for a song; and great delivery. That had to take some time to do!

I have to admit, I found it funny that you "cut" Brent Mason from your project. I mean, how often does someone get to say that? lol


Chad (Hope that makes it easier)

TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
HearToLearn: thank you! I actually write stuff pretty quickly, but think about it a lot before an idea forms itself in my head and I actually end up writing down!

And yes, I never thought of me "cutting" Brent Mason from the song like that, haha. Made me really smile, that observation of yours :-)

User Showcase
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,719
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,719

Top notch.
Enjoyed it all especially your lyrics.
So much there that resonates with me.
Cheers.

User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Thanks RichMac, I appreciate this!!!

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,226
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,226
"Proudest egos, rigid rules
Playing us for stupid fools;
And as we wait at life's own door
Scared to knock, afraid to go ..."

There's a lot to contemplate packed into
those four lines.

And they were but four of many great lines.

Really enjoyable and thought provoking.

J&B


Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,647
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,647
James

Almost hypnotic, with a very pleasant backing.

A very good, folk song / poem.

Peter

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.

Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.

There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!

Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.

Holiday Weekend Hours

It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:

Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Regular hours
resume Tuesday, May 19th!

Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!

Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!

Don't wait - order today!

Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!

Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.

Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.

If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!

202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!

With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!

Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!

Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.

Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.

Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!

And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.

The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!

These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!

This Free Bonus PAK includes:

  • The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK: -For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
  • MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
  • Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
  • Playable RealTracks Set 5
  • RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
  • SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
  • iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
  • 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
  • FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
  • MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
  • Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
  • RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
  • SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)

Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,428
Posts804,946
Members40,122
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
jho smith, Jerry Gerber, Fjane, vieumotar, dpckeys
40,122 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 128
DC Ron 106
rsdean 99
WaoBand 82
dcuny 69
vicarn 68
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5